Discipline

Discipline....Got any?

I believe all sports require discipline, but running especially.

Remember back when you were a new runner? Those first few (or, in my case, several) runs were not easy. My lungs burned and my legs did not want to move. And, what was that sharp, twisting pain in my side?

I wanted to be a runner, though, so I kept at it. Eventually, my legs didn't require as much warming up, and my lungs felt fine. And, best of all, those side stitches became a thing of the past.


How did all of that happen? In a word - discipline.

I had done a handful of 5K's before I ever considered myself a runner, but I don't recall training for any of them. Is it any wonder I crashed shortly after the first mile, walked most of the second, and then jogged/walked most of the final 1.1mile to the finish line?  By committing to the training, I was able to gradually run further and walk less. Not every training run felt good, but I knew they had to be done. And, in the process, I grew to love running.

Fast forward to the here and now, and discipline is still the force behind almost every aspect of my running. For example:

Discipline keeps me accountable. If I have a race coming up, I know I have to stay in shape for it or get back in shape if I've had some down time. That means running not just my usual 3-4 runs each week, but running each of those runs with purpose.

Since I work outside the home, all of my runs need to happen around my work schedule. It's no secret I love my early morning miles, many of which happen in the wee-dark hours. Discipline not only gets me up and moving as early as 4:30 a.m. some days, but it also influences my not staying up any later than necessary on the evening(s) prior. For a night owl like myself, that's tough.

One of my 5-milers at 5 a.m.

Also, on the flip side, discipline is a necessary force in preventing injury. Like, for example, when your plan (or your coach) has an easy 4-mile run on the agenda...but you feel so good that you want to run farther and faster than what is prescribed. Ultimately, as runners, we're not always objective on what's right and what's wrong when we're in the heat of an adrenaline rush. It's easy to forget there may be consequences for over-doing it. Discipline, my running friends, is key to staying on track and avoiding over-training.

What about cross-training? We're all runners, but we also need to do other things. Our running parts need down time, and our "non-running" parts benefit from movement. Yep, discipline keeps me doing other things on my non-running days...yoga, walking, strength-training, stair-climbing.

I'm not in love with bike riding (yet), but I'm getting there...

Rest/recovery days are part of most training programs, but how disciplined are we about taking them? Well, I can assure you that I honor my rest days. We all love those feel-good endorphins, and most of us want to stay in shape (if we're already "there"). But rest and recovery are necessary components  of fitness. A lot of people think they gain strength from the actual workout itself...but the true strength comes while recovering from the previous workout (as the muscles rebuild while the body recovers). Constantly working the muscles, without allowing them to recover, will usually lead to fatigue and (often times) injury.

Rest and recovery for the win!

Have you ever been sidelined for a length of time, and had to stage a recovery? Probably the most difficult and challenging time for me (as a runner) was this past summer, as I recovered from emergency surgery (if you're new to my blog, full details are HERE). Not only was I blindsided by the surgery, but I had (at the minimum) a 2-month ban from all things running while the 6-inch suture seam (alongside my knee) sealed & healed.  The temptation was overwhelming to "test the waters," but I held off until my surgeon granted me the go-ahead (not until mid-September) to resume running. Alas, discipline served me well over the course of my recovery. I returned to running on Saturday, September 16th. Taking things easy enabled me to rally back rather rapidly because everything had been allowed to heal.

I did a fair amount of muscle maintenance while recovering from surgery

So, that's a brief look into my take on discipline. It's not always easy to follow a disciplined regiman, but I am almost always rewarded for doing so.

Talk to me....Do you consider yourself a disciplined runner? Are you just as disciplined about rest and recovery? How about cross-training?

 **I'm linking this with Debbie and Rachel and Lora for the Running Coaches' Corner.

**And with Deb for the Wednesday Word (the featured word is Discipline!)